John Kruk was animated.
"Nick Castellanos battled his ass off to put up the numbers he's put up," said the Krukker on NBC's Phillies Postgame after the Phils' 9-6 victory on Wednesday night. "30 doubles on the season for Nick. You gotta give him all the credit. He worked through his struggles early in the season, and he became that guy in the middle of the lineup that the Phillies needed down the stretch here."
“Nick Castellanos battled his ASS off to put up the numbers he put up.” - John Kruk pic.twitter.com/ypNjCfUuu3
Kruk told no lies. Castellanos had just collected three hits in four at-bats during Wednesday's game, including that 30th double and a third-inning home run (his 23rd). His slash line for the month of September is now .289/.359/.482 (.841 OPS), a far cry from the .193/.258/.263 (.521 OPS) line he put up in March/April. Castellanos also struggled in May, posting a .706 OPS. But when other sluggers in the lineup started to fade, he posted an .810 OPS in June, a .789 OPS in July, and an .810 OPS in August.
Those numbers rewarded manager Rob Thomson for sticking with Castellanos through his slow start, penciling Caste's name in the lineup each day despite the early-season slump. Castellanos has started every game this season and, with just three regular season games remaining, he will probably be the first Phillie to start all 162 since Jimmy Rollins in his 2007 MVP campaign.
In late August, Thomson was asked about his decision to stick with Castellanos. "I trust him," said Topper. "I know he can hit. And it'd be one thing if he didn't work at it, and showed me that he didn't care. He cares. And he works at it. I know there are times that he doesn't look good, but there are times when everybody doesn't look good. He really works at it, and I'm happy for him that he's had this turnaround."
Castellanos was asked about Thomson's trust in him that same day: "I think we were in Cincinnati, I was probably hitting under .100 at that time, and the question at that point in time was, 'Do you need a couple days off to clear your head,' or whatever. And Topper had told me Opening Day, after our batting practice, he said '162?' And I just pointed back at him, and nodded my head. And then for me to get off to a slow start, and for him to stick to his word, ya know? Like, as a player, now I know where he's at. And I think that, from a coaching standpoint, trust is the biggest thing that you can have for your players . . . If you don't feel like a manager has your back, that's pretty uninspiring to lace up your cleats for."
It turns out Thomson asked a few players about playing 162 games. "He's not the only one I said it to," said Thomson to reporters. "I'm not sure if he knows that or not."
But, as any Phillies writer will tell you: Castellanos takes questions literally. And he takes them seriously. 162 games it would be, and that wouldn't change just because the first 60 or so games didn't go well.
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We'll soon see if Castellanos can reward Thomson with one more big month. He and the team have almost made it through the season-long grind, just to get back to where they left off last October. After all 162, the Phillies will have a chance to take care of unfinished business.
And if they do finish the job this year? It'll be a testament to both the outfielder's perseverance and his manager's trust.
